


In Which Jackson is Smart and His Friends Aren't Subtle

by firstdegreefangirl



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: (Angela and Jackson are the friendship), Cahoots, Coffee, Epic Friendship, Established Relationship, F/M, I end up tagging that a lot in things, Jackson is the hero of every story, Jackson is the world's greatest friend, Relationship Reveal, Secret Relationship, Sneaking Around, even with nothing to worry about, friends in denail, he puts the clues together, he's so worried about Lucy, honestly just make him head detective already, including this one, oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:14:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24228646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstdegreefangirl/pseuds/firstdegreefangirl
Summary: Jackson starts noticing some signs around the station -- coffee cups, to be exact -- and he puts the pieces together, much to his own horror.And Anglea's.
Relationships: Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 25
Kudos: 262





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> As often, this started with me screaming in Daisy's inbox. Go Daisy, for putting up with my antics, but then she gets fun rewards, like this fic! Love youuuuuuu <3
> 
> I'm looking at Wednesday/Saturday again for this one, even if the first chapter goes up at 12:30 on Sunday morning.

Lucy’s been acting weird lately. 

Jackson’s pretty sure she’s trying to hide it, but he knows her too well for that. He picks up on her changed behaviors, the nights she’s spending away from the apartment, how half the time she doesn’t come home after work unless she’s off shift the next day, and a lot of the time, not even then. 

But the biggest change of all has got to be her coffee drinking. As long as they’ve been roommates, Jackson has watched her make a cup of coffee in the morning, with a hearty splash of cream and so much sugar that he doesn’t think it should count as coffee anymore. She’d savor it while she got ready for work, and switch to one cream, three sugars at the station. He’d asked her about it one time, and she said she drank it faster if it was more bitter, so it perked her up better for the day ahead. 

Pretty much ever since she stopped coming home at night, though, she’s carried a dark red paper cup into roll call. The logo on the side peeks out from beneath the paper sleeve, the top of a locomotive spitting out steam in the shape of coffee beans. 

Jackson’s known the logo longer than Lucy’s been bringing it to work – Sterling took him to Java Junction on their fifth date, looking for somewhere outside the heart of the city with a drive-thru so they could order and drink their lattes in his car. 

Which is why he also knows that the only Java Junction even reasonably close to the station is still almost 15 minutes past Mid-Wilshire from their apartment. Lucy’s never been one for overly fancy coffee, so he figures it’s probably the same rich brew with cream and sugar she’d fix at home. 

Then again, Lucy’s never been one for one-night stands either, and that doesn’t seem to have stopped her from going God-knows-where after work with God-knows-who. 

So there’s really no telling what kind of coffee she’s drinking. Just that it’s the same cup day after day, so whatever it is, she must really like it. 

The weirder part is that Officer Bradford has been sporting an identical red paper cup recently too. 

That makes more sense though, Jackson supposes, because he remembers Angela having mentioned that he only lives a couple of blocks from the coffee shop. It would be easy and convenient for him to drop by on his way to the station. 

Connecting the two cups together leaves Jackson with only two logical options: either Lucy likes this coffee so much that she’s willing to drive an extra half-hour every day to get a cup, or whoever she’s sleeping with lives closer to Tim than they do to the apartment. 

Of course, there’s a third possibility too, but he rules that one out almost right away, because there’s just no way that _Tim_ is the guy Lucy’s sleeping with. For one, he’s her training officer, and she’s too by-the-books for that. And for two, it’s _Tim_. The same Tim who rigged a baby-powder bomb to go up in her face, made her do pushups at red lights, drilled every street in LA into her mind by screaming that he’d been shot. 

The same Tim who saved her life, who pulled a dirty needle out of her leg and kept her sane until her test results came back, who Jackson knows is looking out for his best friend. But not enough to outweigh all the turmoil he’s put her though enough that she’d be willing to hook up with him. 

* * *

Jackson’s beginning to feel a little bit like a detective, trying to fit the pieces together. He’s tried asking Lucy outright if there’s anyone new in her life, but she always defers and asks him about Sterling. 

Which he’s taking to mean that there _is_ somebody, or a string of somebodies, but for some reason she won’t tell him who. 

He’s still counting the coffee cups, keeping track of how many days Lucy and Tim _don’t_ arrive with matching drinks. It happens on occasion, but more often than not, they’re carrying cups into roll call. 

It doesn’t have to mean anything, though. There’s a lot of Los Angeles on that side of the station, a lot of places Lucy could be going night after night. In fact, the statistical likelihood that she’s going to Tim’s is a nearly infinitesimal fraction of a percent. So they both get their coffee from the same place? It’s right off the highway, and Lucy probably drives right by the exit on her way to work from … wherever she’s been going. 

And Jackson takes comfort in that, almost as much as he realizes that he’s probably too invested in this for his own good. Especially because there’s nothing to be invested in, other than two people getting coffee at the same coffee shop. Which is normal, likely even, given how many places his own training officer has introduced him to that he now frequents. 

This version of reality is good enough for Jackson, right up until it isn’t anymore. 

Because one day, the table the rookies always sit at is already occupied when they arrive. It’s filled with members of the brass, people who even outrank his father, so he, Lucy and John don’t really have a choice but to scatter amongst open seats around the room. Lucy gets lucky; she’s only back one row from where they normally are. Jackson ends up sitting next to John, like usual, only this time in the back of the room. 

It’s harder for him to pay attention to the goings-on at the podium from back here, but he can see that he’s not the only one struggling to keep focus. 

From his new vantage point, Jackson can’t help but notice that Tim keeps looking in Lucy’s direction. He’ll stare for a few moments, then jerk his head back to the front, almost as if he’s caught himself in the act. But it’s not long before he’s looking at Lucy again, and Jackson can see just enough of his profile to recognize the unmistakable look on Tim’s face. 

He’s staring at her the same way men stare at people they’re trying to pick up in bars. Jackson’s been on the receiving end of that stare enough times to know how uncomfortable it can be, especially if the advances are unwelcome. 

_Lucy has a new boyfriend, and her training officer is staring at her like he wants to take her home_. 

Well, isn’t this morning just shaping up to be a whole soap opera’s worth of drama? 

* * *

He stops Lucy on her way out to the garage, wrapping his hand gently around her wrist, careful not to jostle the Java Junction cup she’s holding. 

“Hey, can we talk real quick?” Jackson pulls her off to the side. 

“Jackson, what’s going on? I have to go get our war bags.” She’s not mad, he can tell, but there’s a level of urgency in her voice. 

“Listen, just … don’t shoot the messenger, OK? Because I saw … something … during roll call, and I think you should know before you hit the streets today, but I don’t really know how to say it, because I don’t know for sure, but if it were me, I’d want you to say something, so I figure I probably should--” 

“Jackson.” She cuts him off, and sighs affectionately, only a tinge of annoyance around the edges at his rambling. “What is it?” 

“Tim kept staring at you. Like dude-seeing-hot-chick-at-a-bar stare.” He winces, but makes himself continue. Lucy deserves to know. “Is he acting any differently toward you? Because I hate to break it to you Luce, but it looked like he might be into you.” 

She chokes on a sip of her coffee and Jackson reaches around to pat her on the back. 

“Sorry. I know you like riding with him, but if he’s making a problem out of this, you should talk to Grey. It’s unprofessional, if he’s being harder on you because of his own feelings. And like I said, I don’t even know if he is into you, but I’d want to know, if Lopez were looking at me like that. And, obviously, if she weren’t dating Wesley. But, in that universe, I’d want to know if she might have feelings for--” 

“Nothing’s going on, Jackson. Tim hasn’t been acting any different, OK?” Lucy pats his arm. “Seriously, thanks for looking out. I appreciate it. But trust me, if he starts causing problems, I promise I’ll let you know.” 

She nods at him and walks away, but Jackson isn’t watching closely enough to notice the extra spring in her step. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy knows that Jackson knows, but Jackson still doesn't know what he knows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday! I've been eyeballs deep in some pretty heavy angst writing all week, so it was nice to turn and look at something light and fluffy this afternoon while I post my update. Enjoy!

“So, Officer Bradford.” Lucy looks across the console at him, and can feel the smirk on her face. “I have it on good authority that you were staring at me during roll call today.” 

“Yeah? Well how am I supposed to help it, when you keep chewing on your straw like that?" He reaches over and takes one of her hands, steering the shop with his other. “Besides, didn’t I earn staring privileges when we started dating?” 

“Not if you’re going to get us caught!” She interlaces their fingers. “You know we can’t tell anyone until I’m cut loose for at least a couple of months.” 

“Hey, I haven’t said a word about it.” He’s grinning now, reveling in the way their hands fit together. 

“And we won’t have to, if you keep looking at me all the time.” 

“Well maybe if you weren’t so pretty, we wouldn’t have this problem.” 

“Sure, I’ll just start showing up for work with bedhead and no makeup.” 

“Hate to break it to you, but you’re pretty then too.” He winks as they stop at a red light. “Seriously, though, who noticed?” 

“Jackson.” Lucy groans and pulls her hands up to her face, dragging Tim’s with them. “He asked me if I needed to talk to Grey about switching TOs, if you were being hard on me because you have a crush.” 

“He’s right about the crush, but I wouldn’t call it that since we’re not in middle school, Boot.” Tim laughs. “What’d you tell him?” 

“The truth, obviously.” There’s not a hint of sarcasm in her tone, and Tim’s eyes widen as she continues. “You took me out for a drink after I came back from my leave, showed me that there’s at least one man I can trust enough to go on dates with.” 

“There had better only be one man you’re going on dates with.” He’s teasing, at face value, but Lucy also knows him well enough to know that there’s a protective edge to it, that he’d be eviscerated if she were involved with anyone else. 

“At least one man I can trust enough to date,” she repeats herself as she rolls her eyes, then continues. “And that drink turned into dinner, turned into walking around the block, turned into another dinner, and driving down the highway in your truck at 2 a.m., and before we knew it, we’d been dating for three months.” 

She looks across the car at Tim, who’s trying to hide the wistful smile on his face. They sit together for a moment, in the shared memories of their relationship, before he blinks over at her. 

“You didn’t really tell him all that, did you? Because you’re the one who said this had to be a secret and--” 

“No! Of course not! I told him you were acting fine and that if I needed him to fight you, I’d hand him the push knife myself.” 

“Damn, Boot, OK.” he starts laughing. “Remind me not to break your heart.” 

“Yeah, you better not. Jackson would be the least of your worries.” 

“Fair enough.” He pulls her hand up and kisses her knuckles. “Good thing I don’t plan on that happening, isn’t it?” 

Lucy scrunches up her nose when she smiles, but before she can say anything else, the radio crackles to life and Tim has to let go of her hand to flip the light bar on. 

* * *

For another two weeks, Jackson keeps count of the coffee cups Lucy brings in every morning. On a particularly brave day, he asks her if they opened a new location near the apartment. She shrugs and tells him no, but before he can ask anything else, Grey is starting roll call. 

A few days after that, Lucy comes home after work. Everyone’s had a long day, the whole division running calls from start to finish. Jackson had assumed Lucy would go spend the night with … whoever she’s been spending her nights with, so he’s surprised when the door opens and she drops her bag in the foyer. 

“Hey,” Jackson waves his beer in her direction. “Fancy seeing you here. It’s been a while since we had roomie night.” 

“I _know_. And after the day we had? We deserve it. That bottle of wine still on top of the fridge?” 

“Should be. Glasses or passing?” 

“Let’s be fancy tonight. I’ll grab glasses too.” 

He waits until they’re a couple glasses in each, and the flush is starting to rise on Lucy’s cheeks, to bring anything up again. 

“So …" Lucy’s pouring refills, but she looks up at the playful tone. “Seems like you’ve been having some good nights lately. Who’s the man?” 

Jackson might be reading too much into it, but he swears there’s a flicker of fear in her eyes. 

“What? Who says I’ve been anywhere?” 

“Well you haven’t been coming home. I’m not policing, Luce, but clearly you’ve got gossip. C’mon, spill.” He turns to face her, sitting cross legged on the couch. 

For a second, it looks like she getting ready to say something, but she reconsiders. 

“Hey, how’s it going with Sterling? Tim said Lopez helped you guys stage a breakup?” 

He doesn’t miss the diversion – or how casually she drops Bradford’s first name – but Jackson doesn’t want to create any rifts with his friend, so he lets her distract him as she pulls another bottle of wine from the cabinet and twists it open. 

“Yeah, I had to get out of the spotlight, so now I’m Sterling’s ex.” He shrugs, and it looks like Lucy feel bad for a moment. 

“And we’re on … which side of this?” 

“The side where I’m only his ex in public. When he’s not out filming somewhere, I’m over at his place, hiding out. Not that it feels much like hiding, though. Dude’s got a bowling alley in his basement. Nacho machine and _everything_.” 

They go through half of the next bottle while Jackson fills Lucy in on everything that’s happened with his secretly-not-so-ex boyfriend, then have to go to bed to make it up for shift in the morning. As they’re taking turns in the bathroom, he grabs her wrist for a second. 

“Next roomie night, it’s your turn to dish.” 

“Yeah, OK.” She laughs, but the smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “We’ll see if I have any stories worth telling.” 

In the interest of getting to bed, Jackson lets it slide, but knows he’ll be watching her closely, because things aren’t adding up for him, and more than anything, he’s afraid his friend might have gotten herself into another bad dating situation. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson can't keep his mouth shut, and Angela can't resist the urge to mess with Tim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live for Jackson and Angela's goofy, adorable friendship. Dear season three, can we have more of that please?

Jackson doesn’t have to wait long for the rest of the puzzle to put itself together. 

The morning after wine night, Lucy drives them both to work while Jackson waits for his Advil to kick in. He thought about filling a thermos with coffee for the commute, but realized that if he did that, Lucy might not stop anywhere for a cup on the way in. 

She doesn’t stop anyway, so the only thing he achieves is being even more caffeine-deprived than usual when they arrive at the station. 

Lucy looks like she’s hurting for coffee herself, so Jackson fills two mugs and joins her in their usual seats beside Nolan. She nudges his shoulder with hers gratefully as she takes the first sip, slightly too hot on both of their tongues, but doing its job at easing their headaches. 

They're hardly settled when Tim comes in, carrying not one, but two red paper cups stacked on top of each other. Lucy’s head doesn’t turn, but Jackson feels her shift next to him as Bradford walks by, and he’s definitely looking at her when he sits down. 

_Two cups don’t have to mean anything._ Jackson’s still giving the entire situation the benefit of the doubt. Lopez is his best friend, and it’s not out of the question that he’d bring her coffee. Jackson filled a mug for Lucy without even thinking about it today, after all, just because he knew she’d need the pick-me-up. 

But he sits the second cup by his feet, underneath the table like he’s trying to hide it from view, and sits back in his chair before Lopez turns to say hello. 

So the coffee isn’t for her, but Grey takes the podium and starts assigning cases, drawing Jackson’s focus back to his career. He half-listens through roll call, mentally cataloguing the conversations he and Lucy have had in the last few weeks. 

_Surely_ _he’d have noticed if she told him she was dating her training officer. He’d remember that._

But he doesn't remember it, so presumably she hasn’t said anything. Which means that if there’s anything going on – he's still not sure, but the signs are all pointing the same direction – they're trying to keep it under wraps. 

He’ll tease her relentlessly at their next movie night, but he’s not going to go around spreading rumors, especially before he knows if there’s even anything to spread. 

Grey releases them, and Jackson heads for the equipment room while Lopez gets the shop running. Usually, he chats with Lucy while they wait in line, but today he comes around the corner and sees her standing there with a duffel bag slung over each shoulder. Bradford is walking right up into her personal space and passes her one of the coffee cups he’s still carrying. 

To anyone who wasn’t paying attention, it’s not a move that would warrant notice, especially in a crowded precinct. But Jackson is nothing if not attentive, especially when it comes to his friends, so he sees her take the cup from Tim and grin, the kind of smile that takes over her entire face, 

What’s more surprising though, is the way Bradford smiles back, like she just handed him the whole world. He’s not a smiler, especially not the kind of smile that comes up automatically, a reflex you can’t stop. 

But that’s clearly what’s going on not 15 feet from where Jackson stands, rooted to his spot in surprise. 

He makes himself shake off the stupor, grabs his two war bags before anyone can wonder what he was gawking it, and hurries to join Lopez in the shop. 

* * *

“West? Everything OK?” He almost slams his hand in the door, in his haste to get it closed, and his training officer looks over in concern. 

“Fine. Just … eager to hit the streets, go fight some crime!” The words sound wrong to his own ears, and he can tell Lopez hears it too, can see her roll her eyes. 

“Who put the crack in your Cheerios?” She fastens her seatbelt and starts the engine. 

“Crack in my Cheerios!” He barks out a sharp laugh and claps his hands together once. “Good one!” 

“Seriously, you’re not on drugs are you?” 

“No, ma’am, no drugs. Just a surprising morning.” 

“Yeah? Everything OK with you and Sterling?” She sounds genuinely concerned, and Jackson feels a little bad for keeping something like this from her. 

“Great! He just added a new surround sound to his home theatre, so movie night is even better than before. How’s Wesley?” 

“Good, he’s … he’s good.” She smiles, thinking about how much she cares for her boyfriend, and Jackson changes the subject to the call that comes over the radio, hoping to keep things focused there enough that he doesn't have to worry about spilling Lucy’s secret. 

That works for exactly two calls: a car stop and a home invasion report. Then they hit a quiet spell, the kind of free time Jackson usually fills with idle chatter. Over the last few months, he and Lopez have become pretty close friends. 

Not quite close enough for him to think of her by her first name, but close nonetheless. 

But today, he sits silently, afraid that anything he says will begin with “you’ll never guess what I saw in the station this morning” and end with “your best friend and my best friend are dating.” 

Lopez notices the change in demeanor, though, and pulls into a gas station parking lot. 

“Alright, Boot. Spill. Whatever’s going on up there is going to interfere with how you do the job, so out with it.” 

“ _Lucy and Tim are dating!”_ He blurts it out all in one breath, then claps a hand over his mouth. “Crap, I wasn’t … I don’t think you’re supposed to know. I don’t think _I’m_ supposed to know.” 

“Did Lucy tell you that?” He shakes his head. “They’re not dating. Tim would have said something to me, or Lucy would have told you. But,” she holds up her hand when he opens his mouth to argue. “I’ll indulge you, because he’s been less affectionately hostile lately, so I don’t doubt that there’s something new in his life. C’mon, present your evidence.” 

He does, telling her about all the nights Lucy has spent away from home, the matching coffee cups from the shop he knows is by Tim’s house and not their apartment, how last night he asked Lucy outright if she was seeing someone new and her face went red before she changed the subject. 

“But that could all be circumstantial, I know,” he finishes. “He really sealed it with the two cups today.” 

“What? He had two cups at roll, I saw that, but I just figured one was for later.” 

“No, I saw him give it to her while I was getting the bags. And _they smiled at each other.”_ He finishes his story in a loud whisper, trying to add the appropriate amount of drama to what he’s saying. 

“Oh, well if they _smiled at each other_.” She’s clearly mocking him, which Jackson can’t believe, because she knows Tim better than he does. Surely she understands the significance of him willingly smiling at another person. 

“No, like a full-on _grin_. Like ear-to-ear, reflexive, heart eyes, dopey smile.” 

“I promise not to tell Tim that you called him ‘dopey’.” Lopez lifts an eyebrow and holds her pinky out for Jackson to link with his as he thanks her for essentially saving his life. “OK, so maybe there is something there. I’d say it’s none of our business, but it’s two of our best friends, so I think we’ve earned a little bit of meddling.” 

“I couldn’t agree more. What’s the plan?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "If it weren't for you meddling fellow officers!"


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela and Jackson have earned a bit of meddling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was quite possibly the most fun part to write, with the intrigue and the cahoots and everything. Enjoy!

They join the rest of the gang for lunch, and while they’re waiting for their orders, Lopez positions herself beside Tim, facing the same direction as him so she doesn’t come off as too curious. 

“Lucy’s hair looks cute today.” She lets her sunglasses hide the way she glances at him, just in time to catch the way he looks over to where the rookies are sitting. 

“Yeah,” Jackson was right, it’s an automatic response, clearly the first thing to come to his mind. He tries to play it off as soon as he realizes what he’s said. “I mean, it’s hair. Looks like it always does, right?” 

“I think she’s got it braided different. Looks good, though.” 

“Don’t know why you’re talking to me about pigtails, Lopez.” He widens his stance and crosses his arms, trying to take command of the conversation. “Pretty clearly not my area of expertise.” 

“Fair.” She lets the topic drop, making a mental note of his reactions. “Any good cases today?” 

“Not really. Just driving around, waiting for some lowlife to do his part, give us something to do.” Then their orders are up, and as they sit down, the topic changes again, to Nyla’s daughter’s ballet recital. 

Tim keeps watching Lucy while he eats, though, looking at the group of new officers when he doesn’t think he’s being watched, keeping an eye on her while she's talking to her friends. 

_Shit, Jackson might be right. He’s got it bad for Lucy._

* * *

“Lucy!” Nolan sits down next to her, knocking their shoulders together. “Abigail said to tell you hello, and thanks for the advice on wedding braids.” 

“Hey, it was no problem. I’ve been in a couple of weddings, so I’m happy to pass on what works well. The braids look really classy, and will stay in place if she wants to dance at the reception.” She smiles, pleased that she was able to help. She and Abigail hit it off right away when they first met, and she likes knowing the people in her friends’ lives. 

“You know who else has been married? Tim.” Jackson speaks around a mouthful of his burger, the topic change abrupt, and forced. “How’s it going riding with him, Lucy?” 

“Fine? Same as always. Jackson, are you OK?” Lucy looks at him, puzzled about why he’s suddenly so interested in her training officer, as he stuffs three fries in his mouth. 

He nods, swallowing enough food that he can speak again. 

“Yeah, I’m good. Just know you didn’t get coffee before we left today, wasn’t sure how you were holding up without the extra caffeine.” 

“Oh. I’m good, actually, I had another cup after roll.” _The cup Tim gave her_. 

“You drank _two cups_ of department coffee?” Nolan blinks, knowing as well any of them that the brew is dark and bitter. “Bad hangover?” 

“Something like that.” She glares at Jackson. “But I’m good now, and things with Tim are good. We had a slow morning, not much activity. Hopefully we’ll pick up something fun this afternoon. Not that I want anyone to get hurt, but a whole day with just two calls? That’s insane.” 

Everyone nods their agreement, and almost like she’s willed it into existence, their radios crackle to life. 

_Seven Adam-07,_ _please respond_. 

Jackson stands up and follows Lopez back to the shop, letting her get the information from dispatch about the car that was broken into outside a residence. 

It’s not a big call, but it’s something to move his afternoon along. 

And as soon as the report is taken, he and Lopez find themselves parked outside, ironically enough, a coffee shop, each holding a plastic cup, even if Jackson’s opted for iced tea. 

“So? Find anything out?” She sips her mocha and looks at him. 

“I didn’t get to ask many questions, but she definitely got quiet when I brought up Officer Bradford.” 

“Ugh, you can call him Tim, you know.” Her nose crinkles at the way she uses Tim’s full title. 

“All due respect, but I really don’t think I can.” He winces. 

“Whatever. Quiet how?” 

“Like I’d asked something she didn’t want to answer, I think. She said riding with him is good, but that’s not new. She’s stuck up for him since day one.” 

“She should. He’s a good cop, and it’s good that she’s got his back. Anyway, at least one of us managed to get some useful intel.” 

“Yeah? What’d he say?” 

“I said I thought her braids were cute and he agreed before he realized that I was talking to him about her hair. I’m, like, 85 percent sure you’re right. There’s definitely something between them.” 

“So? What do we do now?” 

“We leave it alone. They’ll tell people when they’re ready, not until you lot are cut loose if they’re smart. And until then, it’s not up to us to cause problems for them. TOs dating their rookies is a huge breach of conduct, and we’re not going to do anything to draw attention to it. Understood?” 

“So we just … ignore it?” 

“You do, for sure. I’ve seen you try to be subtle, West. I’ll talk to Tim some more, see if I can get him to let me in on it, but _lay low."_

* * *

Jackson doesn't lay low. He tries to, really. He’s just so confused about Lucy and Tim dating, and even more so that she hasn’t told him. Not telling the department, he could understand. Especially since she’s still in training. But not telling _him_? Her roommate and best friend? 

He just can’t shake the feeling that there’s something going on that she doesn’t feel comfortable talking about. 

So it’s out of pure concern for his friend when a week later he takes a right turn out of the division, driving 15 minutes away from home so he can load $15 onto a gift card for a coffee shop he hardly ever goes to. 

But he and Lucy have plans for another roommate wine night, and he has a plan to get some more information. He picks up a couple of bottles of their favorite Moscato, and two big bags of Chinese takeout, and meets her back at the apartment. 

“Alright, I’ve got wine, food, and a present for you.” 

“Is there an occasion?” She’s teasing at first, but he can see her expression shift to one of concern. “Were we doing presents? I don’t have … there was a shipping delay, and-” 

“Luce. Relax, there’s no occasion. You’re just never home in the mornings, and you’ve always got the same to go cup, so since I can’t make your morning coffee anymore, I figured I'd buy you a few. Y’know, for letting me split the rent and saving my job and all.” 

“Jackson, we’ve been over this.” She takes the card from him anyway. “If I didn’t like having you as a roommate, you’d have been apartment hunting from day one. But thanks, this place is great. We’ll have to go sometime, maybe meet before shift?” It’s a genuine offer, Jackson can tell. But he can also tell that there’s something more behind her eyes. “The baristas are getting to know us—me. I’m sure they’d love to meet my roommate.” 

“Yeah, sounds great.” He’s intentionally vague, busy cataloguing the way Lucy went to “us” before “me” talking about her mornings. 

_If she is dating Tim, it’s been going on long enough that she’s_ _automatically_ _including him in her life._

_“_ Anyway, we were going to watch Toy Story?” He drops down beside her on the couch with the wine bottles and a pair of glasses, sitting the food on the coffee table and reaching for the remote. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just saying, Angela and Jackson need to be co-head detectives, for how well they've put the clues together on this one.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Lucy share a quiet evening and decide what to do about their friends' not-so-subtle antics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Jackson or Angela this time, but some really soft Chenford, which is ... equally as good, honestly.

“Jackson knows.” It’s the first thing Lucy says the next night when she settles in on a barstool in Tim’s kitchen. He’s standing over a skillet, braising pork chops to go with the garlic bread that’s in the oven. 

_She’d never expected him to know how to cook, but it’s been one of her favorite surprises since they got together: Tim Bradford doesn’t live off of beer and takeout. He makes his own meals, and he’s good at it._

“Knows what?” He turns around, holding a teaspoon carefully, his free hand hovering beneath it to catch any drips. “Here, taste.” 

She opens her mouth and he slides the spoon forward, letting her try the gravy that will go over the meat. 

“Mm,” she smiles at him and licks a stray drop of gravy off of her lip, watching his gaze follow her tongue. “Delicious. And he knows that we’re dating.” 

“Did you tell him?” He’s not angry, just curious, and maybe a little surprised, given that her career is the one on the line if their secret gets out. 

“No, and I don’t know for sure that he knows, but I’m pretty sure. He gave me a gift card for Java Junction last night, said he’s seen how often I get coffee there. And he caught you staring at roll call the other day, and when he and Nolan and I were at lunch, he specifically asked how it was going working with you every day. Even though we’ve been partners for almost eight months now.” 

“Huh,” He opens and closes the oven, filling two plates with food and sitting one down across from Lucy as he sits down beside her. “Angela’s been weird too. The other day she told me your hair was cute.” Lucy looks up at him, and he rushes to correct himself. “It was, it always is, but it’s strange that she mentioned it to me, don’t you think?” 

“Yeah …" she trails off, running a bite of garlic bread through the gravy on her plate. “Hey, this is going to sound super paranoid, but do you think they’re ganging up on us? Like if they're both onto us, do you think they’re talking about it, trying to figure it out together?” 

“Angela wouldn’t bring it up, but if West got her started, she’d definitely help him piece it together.” 

“You think so? I mean, it’s a pretty big coincidence if they both noticed at the same time without telling each other.” 

“I wouldn’t put it past them, Boot.” He puts his fork down and turns to face her. “So, what are we going to do about it?” 

“We can’t say anything yet.” She’s quick to respond, but doesn't actually answer his question. “I’m still a rookie. I’m still _your_ rookie.” 

“Hate to break it to you, but you’ll always be my rookie, if I have any say in it.” He smiles at her and she rolls her eyes, even as she grins back. 

“Aw, that was almost sweet.” Lucy leans over and kisses his check. 

“’Almost sweet,’” he parrots it back at her. “What a nice thing to say about the guy who cooked you this fantastic dinner. But seriously, what are we doing with this? If we let it go too long, we risk one of them tipping off the brass, even on accident.” 

“I don’t like lying to Jackson.” It’s still not an answer, but maybe it’s moving them closer to one. Because the truth is that Lucy isn’t sure how she wants to handle this, but the thought of knowingly lying to her roommate ties her stomach in knots. “He’s my best friend.” 

Tim sits with her comment for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. 

“His dad’s IA.” He watches Lucy stiffen. “I know he’s your confidante, but can you be positive he won’t slip up? Say something to the wrong person?” 

“He … hasn’t talked to his dad in a couple months. They made up after the whole deal last year, but it’s still weird between them. Jackson wouldn’t say anything about us.” She eyes him, taking his next thought right out of his mouth. “I trust Angela, too.” 

“So do I. What if we tell them? Sit down, off-duty of course, tell them what we’ve been up to the last few months-” 

“Mmm, I don’t know if all of that would be group information.” Lucy smirks at him and raises her eyebrows, giggling when he rolls his eyes again. 

“Tell them that we’re in a relationship,” he amends. “Ask them to keep it to themselves until we’re ready to disclose? Angela would keep quiet.” 

“Jackson too. Are you … are we ready to pop our little bubble?” She bites her lip hesitantly, and Tim knows exactly what’s on her mind. 

Things have gone really smoothly for them the past few months, but there also hasn’t been much to get in the way. It’s all been dinners in his kitchen, movies in the back rows of theatres, drives up the coast to have a nice meal in a restaurant where they’re less likely to run into someone they work with. They’re off to a good start, but both of them know how quickly that can change when there’s a whole world to interfere with the relationship they’ve built. 

Tim stands up, abandoning any pretenses of finishing his meal, and moves to stand behind Lucy. He wraps his arms around her shoulders, resting his chin on her hair before looking down to kiss the top of her head. 

“I am if you are. Only way to know what’ll happen is to find out. And I meant it, baby. If I have any say in it, we’ll make it through anything life throws at us.” 

Lucy reaches up to hold on to one of his forearms, tilting her face up until his chin is on her forehead. 

“Then I say we tell them.” He bends down a little further to kiss her lips, and pulls back to smile at her as she finishes her thought. “Not tonight, though. It’s Monday.” 

“Not tonight,” Tim agrees. “Monday nights are for me to watch you watching your trashy reality show.” 

“Excuse you, mister.” She turns around on her stool, and Tim’s arms ride down to rest on her hips. “ _Dancing With The Stars_ is not crappy. They have professional dance instructors help the contestants get ready every week. It’s the only TV show that puts people from all over the entertainment industry in the same room to compete with each other.” 

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” He squeezes her sides and kisses the end of her nose. “So you always tell me. You know, you’re cute when you get all fired up.” 

Lucy reaches down for his hands, and he lets her lead him to the couch. As soon as he’s sat down, she’s picking up the remote and tucking herself into his side. His arm loops around her shoulders, hand resting just a little too far below her ribcage. 

“And you’re cute when you let me watch my shows.” She slides his hand up to her waist. “Good things come to those who wait, you know.” 

Tim mumbles something to himself, but when Lucy looks up at him, he’s smiling. 

“You know, there’s a real select group of people I’d sit through this kind of drivel with.” There’s no mirth in his tone, though, and she grins back at him. 

“Yeah? How’s your view?” 

“Pretty damn perfect. Now hush, your show’s starting, and you’ve got plans when it’s over.” 

“I do? Do they involve practicing our dance moves?” She walks her fingers up his middle, splaying her hand over his heart. 

“I had something … equally athletic in mind.” he rests a hand over hers and squeezes gently. “But we’ll see what we come up with.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you back Wednesday for the big reveal. Just one more chapter!  
> xoxo


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Lucy have drinks with Jackson and Angela to talk about what their friends think they know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! Jackson's detective skills are about to pay off!

It’s a week later that they finally manage to find a night when Jackson and Angela are both free after work. Lucy invites Jackson out for drinks, and Tim reminds Angela that she still owes him a round from his birthday. They’ve all had a long day, and Lucy in particular looks exhausted. Tim offers to back out, come up with an excuse to reschedule and have her over for an early bedtime, but she insists that she’s ready to tell their friends, and spend some time out and about with Tim. 

The four of them end up sitting around a table at the dive bar near Lucy’s apartment. It’s several steps off from where they usually drink, but the couple had figured that this conversation would be best had somewhere that isn’t literally overran with off-duty law enforcement. 

There’s no telling who they’d run into from work, and what they might say, so Lucy had scouted out the least cop-looking bar in the area. 

“This is … new.” Jackson carefully spreads his hoodie over the seat of his chair, not wanting to risk contact with any surface in the bar. 

“Yeah, well it’s good to mix things up.” But Lucy’s nose is wrinkled too, and Tim wants nothing more than to pull her down onto his lap, protect her from having to sit in the veritable cesspool covering everything. “Besides, we needed … somewhere other than the regular place.” 

“We did?” Angela, seemingly without a care in the world, has sat down and draped her jacket across her lap. 

“Yep.” Tim stands behind Lucy, a hand pressing against her lower back out of view of their friends. “Some things are better said without ears burning around us.” 

Jackson and Angela look at each other, and it only confirms what Tim and Lucy had suspected: they know, they’ve known, and no one is breaking any big news tonight. 

The notion puts Tim at ease enough to pull the vacant chair closer to Lucy’s and sit down beside her, resting one of his hands on her knee and squeezing lightly as she looks at him. 

_You ready?_ The gesture seems to say. 

She smiles at him and nods. 

“So. We’re pretty sure you both already know this, but we wanted you to hear it from us. Um,” Lucy falters for a moment, the reality of the situation hitting her, but she regains her footing when she reaches for Tim’s hand and twists their fingers together. “We’ve been dating for almost four months now. Things are good – really good – but obviously we can’t say anything about it until I graduate the academy.” She stops talking, the rest of the explanation getting caught in her throat, and Tim takes over. 

“You guys know how much is on the line for Lucy. I don’t want to screw any of that up for her, and I know you don’t either. Can we keep this around this table until we’re ready to disclose?” He’s speaking to them both, but looking almost directly at Jackson, who nods earnestly. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Good. And you can drop the ‘sir’, West. We’re not at work.” 

“Actually, he can’t.” Lopez rolls her eyes. “We’ve been over it.” 

“It’s a sign of respect.” 

“Whatever.” She looks between Tim and Lucy. “I’m happy for you guys. Can’t _believe_ you haven’t said anything though, jackass.” She swats Tim’s arm playfully. 

“I was sworn to secrecy.” He leans toward his friend, but doesn’t let go of Lucy’s hand as he whispers. “You don’t want to know what she threatened to do to me if I let the cat out of the bag. Or, well, not to do me.” 

“Oh-kay!” Angela stands up. “I’m gonna need another round. And you’re buying, Mr. Secret-Keeper.” 

“Yeah, saw that coming.” He shifts his weight back toward Lucy as he fishes his money clip out of his pocket, and ends up with her head tipped onto his shoulder. He passes some bills to Angela, replaces the clip and brings his hand up to play with Lucy’s hair. 

“I have to say, Lucy, I am _incredibly surprised_ _,”_ Jackson looks at his friend as soon as Angela is out of earshot. “I don’t know about Officer Lopez, but I had _no idea_ there was anything between the two of you.” 

“Can it, West.” Tim responds before Lucy can say anything. “We all know you knew. Stop schmoozing, and remember that this means I can come over now. We don’t always have to go to mine, do we, baby?” He looks down at Lucy, who’s smiling from where she’s resting against him. “Nope. I’ve got really fuzzy blankets too. Great for movie night.” 

“See? You can count me in for movie night, apparently.” Tim looks back to Jackson. 

“Wow, you’ve got him wrapped around your finger, don’t you, Lucy? It’s adorable, honestly.” He’s teasing now, nudging Lucy’s arm as he speaks. 

“Eh, it goes both ways. _Someone_ thinks garlic bread goes with everything, so my carbs count is through the roof.” She rolls her eyes, but scoots impossibly closer to him, their chairs touching. 

“You love my garlic bread.” 

“It’s … above average. Mostly I just love you.” 

Tim’s eyes go wide, and he waits to see if she’ll realize what she’s just said. There’s no visible reaction from Lucy, but when he hand goes still in her hair, she nods a little bit against his chest, and he thinks he feels her whisper “don’t make a thing of it.” 

Angela is on her way back with the next round of drinks – and a water for Lucy, who’s already finished her first glass and tapped out for the night – so Tim knows he has to respond quickly, lest there be one more spectator to comment. 

So he settles for pressing his face into her hair, right over her ear, and kissing her gently before he replies. 

“Yeah, mostly I just love you too, Boot.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing! Drop a comment and let me know what you thought!  
> xoxo

**Author's Note:**

> One down, five to go! Hope y'all had fun so far.


End file.
